Chapter 419: Snow Dance (Part 1)

"Did you... save Little Chan?"

Seeing that the Snow Phoenix Beast was safe and mostly recovered from its injuries, Yun Che's heart felt much calmer.

"Yes," Princess Snow turned around, smiling brightly. "It fell behind you, so I used my power to support it. Otherwise, Little Whitey might have fallen to its death. Oh? Little Chan? Is that its name? Hmm... what a strange name. I think 'Little Whitey' sounds much better, don't you, Little Whitey?"

"Chirp..." The Snow Phoenix Beast tilted its head, letting out a crisp chirp. It seemed to be... agreeing with Princess Snow.

Through his spiritual imprint, Yun Che felt that the Snow Phoenix Beast's injuries had healed by about seventy percent. Flying out of the Phoenix Mountain Range would be no problem at all. Although his own condition was still extremely dire, staying in this place was too dangerous. Now that he had regained consciousness, he had to leave immediately.

Yun Che gathered all his strength and shakily stood up. As soon as he did, Princess Snow's beautiful eyes widened with concern. "You... why are you standing up? You're so seriously injured, you shouldn't move around."

Yun Che gently shook his head. "Thank you, Princess Snow, for saving me and Little Chan. I will always remember this kindness. However, this is your domain, Princess. My falling here is already an unforgivable offense. I dare not... disturb Your Highness any further... Little Chan... let's go... Ugh!"

A sharp pain shot through his chest. Yun Che's face paled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mist, staggering and half-kneeling to the ground.

"Ah!" Princess Snow exclaimed, rushing towards Yun Che. Subconsciously, she tried to help him up, but just as she was about to reach him, she suddenly stopped, withdrew her outstretched hand, and even took a small step back. Anxiously, she said, "You... how are you? I told you, you're so badly hurt, you shouldn't move. Lie down quickly, I... I'll try my best to heal you with profound energy."

Yun Che braced himself with his arms on the ground. After a long while, he finally caught his breath. Shaking his head, he insisted, "There's no need. I dare not continue to disturb Your Highness. And if the Sect Master finds out, I will definitely... cough... cough, cough..."

Yun Che's chest heaved violently, and he coughed up several blood clots. Although he had regained consciousness, both his internal and external injuries were still extremely severe.

"It's alright," Princess Snow waved her snow-white little hand. "I won't blame you, and I won't tell Father Emperor. So, you can safely recover here. If you stubbornly move around, your injuries will get even worse. And... I really like Little Whitey. Little Whitey is the most beautiful profound beast I've ever seen. If you leave, Little Whitey will have to go with you... I'd hate to see it go."

Yun Che then understood. Princess Snow's reluctance for him to leave, and her promise not to tell her Father Emperor, was only partly due to her kind heart. The other half... was clearly the Snow Phoenix Beast!

Princess Snow had just mentioned that only she and her father could enter this place. Since she had promised not to tell her Father Emperor, this could be considered the safest place in the entire Divine Phoenix Empire. Moreover, Yun Che's current condition was completely unsuitable for escape. Realizing this, he finally relaxed. Calming his mind and his surging blood, he sat down on the ground. "Then... I shall trouble Your Highness."

As his voice faded, he closed his eyes and began to circulate the Great Way of the Buddha, drawing in the essence of heaven and earth to nourish and restore his body. While the passive healing of the Great Way of the Buddha was powerful, it couldn't compare to his active manipulation. Once his consciousness returned, the speed of his injury recovery would drastically increase.

Seeing that Yun Che was willing to stay, Princess Snow let out a small sigh of relief. After cautiously observing Yun Che for a moment, she happily skipped over to the Snow Phoenix Beast and threw her whole body onto it, giggling delightedly. "This is great, Little Whitey! We can play together again. Wow, your feathers are so soft and cool... Why are you so beautiful?"

Although Yun Che had closed his eyes to heal, his hearing was not blocked. The voice, like celestial music, drifted into his ears on the gentle breeze, causing his heart to flutter uncontrollably. Such beauty, such a voice, such pure innocence... Was she truly a human girl? Or a perfect sprite, born from all the most wonderful things in the world?

Phoenix Perch Valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with the thousand-zhang Phoenix Cliff to the south. It seemed to gather all the spiritual energy of the entire Phoenix Mountain Range; everywhere the eye could see was a pure, deep green, unlike the dry, reddish-brown of other areas. Even every breath of wind was exceptionally soft and fresh. In the center of Phoenix Perch Valley lay a small, incredibly clear lake with gentle ripples. Beside the lake, a snow-white Snow Phoenix, its feathers stunningly beautiful, was drinking the clear water. Standing next to it was a girl whose figure was as ethereal as a painting.

The girl wore a luxurious phoenix robe, but it seemed dim and lusterless against her crystalline, jade-like skin. Her back and profile were like a dream, ethereal and otherworldly. Even without seeing her face, her mere silhouette possessed a beauty found only in celestial beings.

The young girl took a deep breath of the cool breeze by the lake, letting out a laughter as melodious as a clear mountain spring. She raised her jade-like fingers and gently untied her hair, letting her long, dark, lustrous hair cascade down like a waterfall. Each strand seemed to possess life, fluttering in the air before obediently settling on her fragrant shoulders.

Her jade hands moved downwards, gently untying her sash, and the phoenix robe, embroidered with golden phoenixes, slowly slid from her shoulders. Her clothes fully shed, her perfect, dazzling, and breathtaking jade body was exposed to the gentle mountain breeze. Her back was like piled snow, her slender waist so delicate it seemed to disappear, her smooth, long, flawless legs... Everything about her conjured only the word "perfection." This scene, even from behind, was enough to make any man lose control and be driven to madness.

She slipped off her two golden shoes, revealing jade feet like snow lotuses. With a flawless smile, she beckoned to the Snow Phoenix Beast and gently stepped into the lake. Even submerged in the water, her jade feet glowed with dazzling whiteness.

"Little Whitey, do you want to bathe together? This is where I bathe every day."

Everything in the Phoenix Mountain Range was filled with scorching heat, yet this place alone was tranquil and fresh, and the lake water was slightly cool. The young girl gently scooped up the lake water, letting the clear liquid flow through her fingers. The corners of her lips curved slightly as she quietly watched the water droplets cascade over her jade arms and then down to her snow-white chest.

The lake water was incredibly clear, so clear that a tiny grain of sand at the bottom was visible. Her exquisite form was even more clearly seen. Yet, no one was fortunate enough to witness this ultimate beauty; her only companion was a beautiful profound beast, whose greater interest lay in leisurely drinking the sweet lake water.

"Little Whitey, do you really not want to bathe together? Oh, why do you already have a master...? I like you so much... because I like white, the color of snow. When I was thirteen, a heavy snow fell on Divine Phoenix City. That day was the most beautiful scenery I'd ever seen in my life. I felt as if everything about me was melting into the white snow... But after that, I never saw snow again..."

The young girl rested her fragrant cheek in her hand, gazing at the Snow Phoenix Beast, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a dreamy light. Her pearly shoulders gently emerged from the water as she whispered, outlining a scene of pure, captivating beauty.

"Ah..." The young girl suddenly let out a soft exclamation, her gaze shifting southwards. Then, she gently said, "Little Whitey, your master seems to have woken up. Let's go back together."

She gracefully flew out of the water, her jade body, perfect enough to enthrall celestials, once again covered by the magnificent phoenix robe. She landed on the Snow Phoenix Beast's broad back and, smiling sweetly, called out, "Let's go."

The Snow Phoenix Beast let out a joyful long cry, flapped its wings, and flew towards Yun Che's location.

Yun Che's current meditative state lasted a full two days. With his consciousness awakened, his injuries healed incredibly fast. In those two days, both his internal and external injuries had recovered by about thirty percent, and his profound energy had also recovered by twenty to thirty percent. In less than another week, his injuries should fully heal. However, during this period, he could not engage in any combat, as doing so would undoubtedly worsen his injuries again. Therefore, this undisturbed location was the best place for him to stay.

The prerequisite was that his presence here remained unknown to anyone. And the person who ensured this was Princess Snow, who mistakenly believed him to be a Phoenix disciple.

A white shadow swiftly streaked across the sky, circled above him once, and then slowly landed in front of him. Princess Snow jumped down from the Snow Phoenix Beast's back, looking at him with a smile as radiant as a hundred blooming flowers. "You're finally awake! Otherwise, Little Whitey would have worried itself to death. Do you feel your injuries are a bit better?"

The girl's smile was so dazzling that Yun Che was momentarily dazed. He quickly said, "Much better already, thank you for your concern, Princess Snow. See?"

As he spoke, he stretched his limbs, already able to move them freely.

"Wow! You're recovering so fast! I thought it would take a very, very long time," she said, glancing at the Snow Phoenix Beast. Her tone suddenly became a little timid. "But your injuries aren't completely healed yet, so you still can't move around recklessly. You should stay a few more days, and I definitely won't let Father Emperor know."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Yun Che smiled. He now understood that Princess Snow was so willing to let him stay because she liked the Snow Phoenix Beast. The Snow Phoenix Beast indeed possessed a pure white and beautiful appearance, and ice-attributed profound beasts were extremely rare in the Divine Phoenix Empire, practically non-existent in the flame-active Divine Phoenix City, which naturally sparked her curiosity and affection. Alternatively, she might have been too lonely in this place, and the arrival of the Snow Phoenix Beast provided her with a companion to play with.

After several days without food and still suffering from severe injuries, a wave of hunger washed over Yun Che. He sat down, took out some dragon meat, and began to roast it with his Phoenix Flame. The Flame Dragon's body was originally massive, but it couldn't withstand Yun Che's continuous consumption over the years. By now, Yun Che had eaten ninety-nine percent of the dragon meat, leaving only a meager less than fifty jin in the Heaven Poison Pearl. However, in this process, Yun Che's skill in roasting dragon meat had grown steadily. He was now adept at knowing the perfect heat, duration, and spices needed to grill the most delicious dragon meat.